The Painted Realms
by Knaito
Summary: The Ashen One has braved many trials and now seeks to end the Age of Fire. In doing so, he wakes up in a whole new world, meeting old friends and making new ones. However, he also faces old enemies that threaten to tip the balance of this world and condemn it to a doomed future.


**Take note that my build for this Ashen One is a Knight with miracles and pyromancy equipped. SL 150 from my NG+8. I sorta branched out after my NG, and leveled up Faith, Attunement, and Intelligence in my later NG playthroughs.**

* * *

The Ashen One watched the world around him fade, this was it. The world was finally going to into darkness, with the Firekeeper taking the First Flame into her chest. The Ashen One watched the world darken around him as he then turned his back on the flame to watch the world go into black. As the world's remaining light faded, he felt hands grasp around his arms, hearing a slight thud against his armor. The Firekeeper had her arms around him, while resting her forehead against his back.

"Ashen one, is this truly thy wish?" Firekeeper asked, still unsure about his command.

"Yes, this world must die... for the sake of the next." The Ashen One replied, as he felt the Firekeeper's grip tighten.

The world had finally gone close to black, with no source of light in sight. The Ashen One was not sure if this was what dying felt like. He had experienced it countless times before, falling, getting stabbed, eaten, crushed, pummeled, scorched, and cursed, but he would always end up by the warm light of a bonfire. This was not going to end that way, it was just going to be darkness.

"Ashen one, hearest thou my voice still?"

The Ashen One then took Firekeeper's arms and wrapped them around him, essentially making her hug him.

"Yes I do," The Ashen One said before whispering in a desperate voice. "Please..."

* * *

 _Don't leave me._

The day was bright and the sunlight peered into the visors of a lone knight lying in a field. The knight, weary and cranky, slowly rose from his position. He looked left and right to find himself in an odd position, more specifically, an odd place. This did not look like the Kiln of the First Flame, especially with the high amount of grass. He would have spent more time scratching his head about his strange position had he not heard a loud rumble behind him. The knight jumped back, to find himself face to face with a horse, that seemed strangely angry. The knight surely was expecting a fight as he then tried to draw his sword. Much to his displeasure, he could not find the sword in his sheath. The horse was ready to charge as the knight then quickly summoned his pyromancy, quickly sending out a small flame that stopped the horse in its tracks. The knight noticed its harness and quickly deduced that it had a rider.

 _"Who the hell leaves a wild horse like this!?"_

"Hey! What the hell's with you and burning my horse!?" An angry voice shouted.

The knight then turned to see a red-headed lady run up to her horse, caressing it and calming it, speaking comforting words. The woman then turned to the knight giving him a piercing glare while baring her teeth.

"You, Cinders." The woman called out coldly.

"Cinders?" The knight questioned out loud.

"Yeah you, Cinders, you're pretty good with that fire magic of yours. Mind telling me what's your business in the fields of Ylisse?"

"Ylisse?" The knight asked, not understanding what she was referring to.

"Don't play dumb with me, you must be bullcrapping me if you're telling me you don't know the country you're in. For all I know, you could be one of those bastards from Plegia!"

"Would it suffice to say that I don't know what either of those nations are?"

"Okay, I'll have to take you in." The lady said while taking out her spear. "Any words in your defense?"

"Yeah..." The knight said while eyeing a flock of flying wyverns from afar. "Mind letting me know who's arresting me?"

"I'm Sully, and I'm a Shepherd."

"Well Madam Sully, I hope you know how to fight a wyvern." The knight said while secretly waving magic behind his back, causing one of the wyverns to divert from its flock and fly straight towards them.

"What the hell's that supposed to–GAH!" Sully said before she jumped, seeing a fireball nearly hit her. She looked up to see a wyvern swooping down on her. "W-What the hell is this!?"

"Nice meeting you madam, but I have to be elsewhere." The knight waved before running off.

"Hey, come back here you son of a–CRAP!" Sully cursed before she dodged another fireball from the wyvern. "You did this, didn't you!? You'll pay for this!"

 _"Somehow, I doubt that."_ The knight muttered to himself while running off into the forest.

The knight wandered the forest, taking a stop to rest. He looked to the sky to see that night drew near, deciding to stop for the night. He gathers a few branches and bundles them together, he then summons his pyromancy to light the fire. Once the bonfire was lit, the knight sat down and contemplated his situation. He had just woke up in the middle of nowhere of some country called Ylisse. Where was he? More importantly, where is his broadsword, and Firekeeper? What happened to the Kiln, what happened to the Age of Dark? These were the knight's thoughts before he felt the earth rumble beneath him. He then saw trees come down and fire spread everywhere. Alerted to this unwelcome change in environment, the knight quickly leaves his position and starts running. He saw the ground beneath him crack, seeing lava pour out from the enlarging chasm. With all his strength, he jumped across the chasm and barely landed over the other side. While trying to regain his bearings, he is suddenly ambushed by a corpse with an axe. He jumps back and quickly reassesses the situation. He looks left and right to see walking corpses with glowing red eyes. Concluding that it was time for combat, he summons pyromancy into his hand and runs up to the first corpse. He punches the corpse in the gut, burying his hand inside it before igniting it and scorching the undead creature into ashes. He then bent down to pick the sword from the ground.

 _"At least I have a weapon now..."_ The knight thought before looking at the oncoming onslaught of undead. _"If these are anything like normal hollows, then reinforcing my weapon with flame ought to do the trick."_

The knight then ran his hand over the sword, completely covering it in flame. He then swung his sword at the oncoming corpses, downing them all in single hits. One undead tried to launch an arrow at him, but he dodged and threw a fireball at the undead. A berserk undead ran at him with its axe raised but the knight merely deflected his weapon aside and stabbed him deep in the gut. Another undead with a sword tried to charge at him, but the knight sidestepped and plunged the sword deep into his back before kicking him down. He then felt another presence behind him as he then pointed his sword, behind him, to only find that he was face to face with a man with dark blue hair.

"I'm not your enemy." The man said while cautiously eyeing the blade at his throat.

The knight tilted his head before putting down his weapon. The blue haired man sighed before extending a hand. The knight then returned the handshake.

"That's quite a show you put up back there," The blue haired man said before pointing to himself. "I'm Chrom of the Shepherds."

"My pleasure Chrom, my name is Antoine d'Airell." Antoine replied before looking around at the carnage. "What happened here?"

"I wish knew what was going on..." Chrom sighed while scratching his head. "My sister and I were just taking a walk outside when this catastrophe suddenly happened, paired with these strange monsters coming out of nowhere."

"I see," Antoine stated while putting on a thinking gesture. "I take it you're with a party right now?"

"Yes actually, follow me to one of the abandoned forts, I'll have you meet the other members though I have to warn you that some of them are rather new."

"No worries, I won't be too much of a bother." Antoine replied while following Chrom.

Antoine followed Chrom to one of the abandoned forts. As they walked, Chrom then proceeded to start a conversation.

"So Antoine, what brings you to this forest at the time of the night?"

"Not much, I was rather lost and decided to rest but I was alerted by this sudden cataclysm and all those undead showing up."

"I take it you're not from around here then, most knights would know the forests of Ylisse like the back of their hands." Chrom remarked amusingly.

"You got that part right at least." Antoine chuckled.

The duo had finally arrived at the abandoned fort, where Antoine found a white haired man with a dark cloak, a blonde girl with a battle blouse, and a dark haired knight, sitting idly next to a bonfire, with the knight tending to the girl, who seemed shell-shocked by what happened. They all spotted Antoine and Chrom as they stood up and approached him.

"Chrom! I didn't think you'd be back so fast!" The blonde girl said with much relief before eyeing Antoine. "Who's this guy?"

"Milord, you haven't picked up another stranger have you?" The knight said rather warily. "You have already helped out three suspicious strangers, I am not sure if bringing another one in would be wise.

"Oh, this is Antoine, a traveling knight from foreign lands." Chrom introduced before gesturing to the blonde girl and the knight. "This is my sister Lissa, and this is Frederick, our guardian and companion."

"Nice to meet ya!" Lissa said cheerfully, before approaching the cloaked man and pulling him over. "This is Robin! He's a super smart tactician who's really good at planning! And over there is Virion, a smooth-talking archer noble guy!"

"Another stranger in the wilderness I see." Robin said while extending a hand. "Don't tell me you have amnesia as well!"

"No, at least, it's not like I forgot anything." Antoine said while returning the handshake. He then turned his head to Chrom and asked, "So, this is your little ragtag group I take it?"

"We're called Shepherds, mind you." Chrom added in.

"Wait, 'Shepherds'?" Antoine asked incredulously.

"Why? Are you gonna ask where our sheep are?" Lissa asked with a hint of amusement.

"No, but do you happen to know a woman named Sully?"

"Of course, she is a talented knight and member of the Shepherds." Frederick said while raising an eyebrow. "Do you have any relation to her?"

"Well, let's just say that we didn't depart on the most friendly–"

"THERE YOU ARE YOU BURNING BASTARD!"

Antoine suddenly felt himself get tackled to the ground as he found himself at the mercy of the same red-headed lady from before. Before she could do anything, she was pulled away kicking and screaming by Chrom, who was struggling to keep her under control.

"Sully, what's gotten into you!?"

"This bastard sic'd a wyvern on me and nearly burned my arse off!" Sully snarled while trying to free herself from his grip.

"Calm down Sully! Let's settle this civilly!" Frederick chided.

"My dear Sully, this roughness isn't suited for your beauty!" A blue haired man added in from farther.

"I'll calm down when I make him pay for my burned body!" Sully said while releasing herself from Chrom's grip and lunging at Antoine.

But, much to their shock, a sword gets in between Sully and Antoine. Antoine recognized the sword as an estoc and looked to the person holding the sword. Her armor was formed of a silk veil and silver headband on the helm, a metal plating and chainmail treated with silver, on the chest, and irron gauntlets, partially treated with silver, on her wrists. Antoine recognized that face so many times.

"...Sirris?"

The rest of the party looked shocked at Antoine suddenly recognizing the woman. The woman then bent down and helped Antoine up from his feet, helping him dust himself off.

"Milord, are you okay?" Sirris asked while bending on one knee before him.

"I-I'm fine, just... let me process this for a bit." Antoine said while taking off his helmet and massaging his forehead.

"I think we all need a little explanation..." Chrom said with a sigh while crossing his arms.

Soon, the entire party gathered around the bonfire. Chrom and his companions were seated on one end while Antoine, Robin, and Sirris were seated at the other side. Chrom took a deep breath while pinching the bridge of his nose before deciding to start the discussion.

"Okay, first, who are you Antoine?" Chrom asked straight away,

"I am Antoine d'Airell, son of Baron Jean Francoise d'Airell and Monica Juste d'Airell. I was officially knighted at age eighteen and I have since left knighthood for personal reasons."

"So based on the name, you're clearly noble then." Frederick observed.

"Well, I was." Antoine shrugged, before looking at Sirris, who was just staring off into the bonfire. "So anyway, how did you come to meet Sirris?"

"Well, for some background, we were tasked to protect the borders from any brigands and bandits. When we found Robin lying on the field, we were also alerted to one of the towns being raided. We came as soon as we could and found this brave lady singlehandedly fighting off the bandits." Chrom said while giving her a nod. "I never truly thanked you for protecting those innocents."

"Tis a knight's duty, no need to fret." Sirris replied dismissively.

"You should have seen it! She was like so graceful and elegant and she was using this really weird magic that scared off those bandits too!" Lissa said excitedly. "I've been asking her to teach me those kind of stuff but she's been so secretive!"

"Which also begs the question, how do _you_ know Madam Sirris?"

"Er, well..."

"I am a knight sworn to him." Sirris interrupted, cutting off Antoine.

"So someone like me perhaps," Frederick noted, before asking a follow-up question. "What is your history with him?"

"During my time back in Lothric, the lands I have spoken of, where beasts and monsters roamed about, where it was killed or be killed. Antoine, or duly named, the Ashen One, was a light in the darkness for me. Countless times, he did not hesitate to come to my aid. Countless moments where I could have died, he would come and give his unflinching assistance. He even helped me fulfill a promise I made to my grandfather, and as such, I swore myself to him out of gratitude for what he has done."

Chrom was certainly surprised by this new information as he then looked back to Antoine.

"She seems to think highly of you, is she speaking the truth?"

"Well, it was a bit of an exaggeration, I've only counted two times where I've truly helped her." Antoine shrugged.

"Secondly, what is this Ashen One title that Sirris spoke of?" Chrom asked. "Seems like a high-ranking title from wherever you came from."

Antoine paused, should he tell them of the Darksign? That he and Sirris are undead? It was a risky maneuver since they could become hostile the moment he'd mention they were Undead. But then again, he could just leave some details out. Or even twist some of them to make it seem less sinister.

"Okay, so see this brand on my neck?" Antoine asked while showing a glowing sign on his neck.

"Whoa..." Lissa muttered in awe while looking at it. "Is like the Brand of the Exalt?"

"Brand of the Exalt?" Antoine and Sirris asked.

"Essentially a birthmark that shows that you are part of the Ylissean Royal family." Frederick added curtly.

"You can see the Brand on my right shoulder." Chrom said while exposing his shoulder.

"I see..." Antoine said before shaking his head. "No, this brand is something that is known as the Darksign, marking me as an Unkindled. Where I am from, Unkindled are supposed to be beings with enough power to take on gods."

"Whoa... That's so cool!" Lissa said with a sparkle in her eyes. "So you're like an Exalt then!"

"In what way?" Antoine asked.

"Only those with the blood of the Exalt can wield the Falchion, and legendary sword forged from the tooth of Naga, the Divine Dragon." Frederick stated, before gesturing to Chrom's sword. "This sword was wielded by the first Exalt in order to fell the Grima, the Fell Dragon."

"Hmmm... Perhaps Unkindled and Exalt both have a penchant for slaying gods, but we are far from being similar." Antoine explained. "The Darksign isn't inherited by blood but by merit. Being an Unkindled, we are usually referred to as "Ash" by those around us. Either as a means of praise or in derogatory fashion."

Chrom's party seemed to be amazed by the large amount of exposition, though Antoine noticed that they were tired, seeing that it was

"You certainly have a lot to talk about..." Chrom observed while standing up and yawning. "Perhaps you should save it for the Council tomorrow."

"Council?" Antoine asked.

"Sir Antoine, they are taking us in for questioning back at their capital." Sirris explained. "Are you okay with this?"

"It won't be anything malicious, we just want to make sure that you mean no harm to Ylisse

"I will comply Chrom, I won't protest." Antoine said reassuringly.

"Wished he was that compliant back at the fields..." Sully muttered angrily while walking off.

Antoine and Sirris watched as the whole party began to move to sleep. Antoine and Sirris simply sat and waited for the whole party to sleep. Antoine and Sirris did not however, since Undead needed no sleep whatsoever. Both sat down in front of the still-lit bonfire, silent for the rest of the night, simply staring into the bonfire, which felt nostalgic for both of them. Both stayed frozen in motion until a faint light began to rise over the horizon.

"Milord Antoine, if it is not too much trouble, may I ask a question?"

"Cease with the formalities Sirris, we are both good friends." Antoine answered back. "Just ask if you have anything in mind."

"How did you find yourself here?" Sirris asked.

"I was about to ask you the same thing... I remembered the world fading into darkness, and the flame fading into nothingness." Antoine said with a thinking expression.

"The flame fading? Then you failed your mission?" Sirris asked with much surprise. "After defeating the four Lords of Cinder?"

"It wasn't just the Lords of Cinder I fought, Sirris." Antoine explained with a somber expression. "After you died, I saw so much more beyond the First Flame."

"Like what?"

"I saw the Painted World of Ariandel and overthrew its rulers, Sister Friede of the Sable Church, and Father Ariandel. I then saw it, the Ringed City, home of the Pygmy Lords."

Sirris audibly gasped at that.

"The holders of the Dark Soul?" Sirris asked in shock. "How?"

"I do not know, but I was tasked by the Painting Woman to obtain the blood of the Dark Soul from the Pygmy Lords, for her painting. She was to paint a new world for those who wished to escape the already dying one." Antoine explained. "Deep down, I knew that creating a safer world was a better option than trying to save a dying one, so of course, I complied."

"And did you manage to extract it?"

"I didn't need to. One of the servants extracted the Dark Soul from all the Pygmy Lords. But... the Dark Soul drove him insane due to him not being a champion." Antoine lamented. "I had to fight and slay him to be able to obtain the Dark Soul."

"You fought the holder of the Dark Soul? The very thing that the Gwyn, the Lord of Sunlight, feared? The only power truly stronger than the Abyss?" Sirris asked with shock. "And you succeeded?"

"Albeit, barely. I had obtained the blood of the Dark Soul, and with that, the Painting Woman was able to paint a new world, a safe one for those who wished to escape the already dying one." Antoine said with a grave tone. "And... before he perished, he gave it to me."

"Gave what?"

The Unkindled then conjured a black aura in his hands, forming a dark piece that Sirris immediately recognized.

"The Dark Soul?" Sirris asked with amazement.

"He told me ' _Ashen One, take this... A piece of the Dark Soul's power, I have known of your grand betrayal, and I wish to help you. Take this power and defeat the Soul of Cinder, summon the Firekeeper, and let the world fade. This world must die for the sake of the next.'_ " Antoine said before sighing. "When I was transported to the Kiln of the First Flame, I quickly understood why he gave me the power of the Dark Soul."

"Why?" Sirris asked.

"The flame had become so weak that even the bonfires stopped working. When I was at that last bonfire, I watched it go out, realizing that there was no going back, and that if I failed here, there was no second try."

Sirris was shocked at that as well. She heard the stories of the Soul of Cinder, he was an amalgamation of those who linked the fire beforehand, Gwyn, the Chosen Undead, the Bearer of the Curse, Solaire of Astora, and thousands more who have done it in ages past. Beating him on the first try would be next to impossible, even for the strongest of Unkindled.

"That's where I harnessed it, the power of the Dark Soul. The powers of a Lord of Cinder clashed with a Lord of Dark. We clashed as equals, a battle that shook the earth, and destroyed all before us. But I won, and I watched the world go dark."

"So you let the flame die?"

"No, I killed it." Antoine said before gesturing to his surroundings. "And that's how I found myself here."

"I see..." Sirris said while looking rather down. "Could this world be the Painted World that you were referring to?"

"Perhaps..." Antoine said while looking around. "If we could somehow meet the gods of those worlds, I would try and confirm that for myself."

"Antoine, what do you plan on doing from here?"

"I don't know, I'll probably just wander around and search for the Firekeeper. She was the only one who stood by me when the world went dark."

Antoine heard a little noise in the back, seeing that two of the sleeping sacks were empty.

"One moment." Antoine said before summoning a Chameleon spell and turning into a brick and scurrying off.

Sirris waited for a few minutes before she heard a scream in the back. She turns around to see Antoine dragging in Lissa and Robin from the dark and setting them in front of the fire. Robin and Lissa were rather sheepish at being caught, as the Unkindled simply sighed and asked, "How much of that did you hear?"

"I heard you and Sirris talking while everyone was asleep, so I thought that I'd eavesdrop on you two!" Lissa laughed nervously. "Didn't get much from it though since I didn't get what you two were talking about!"

"You both were speaking of some sort of flame?" Robin asked.

"I'll give you an explanation, as soon as the rest of your Shepherds also stop eavesdropping."

Antoine crossed his arms as he saw Chrom, Frederick, Sully, and Virion rise from their sleeping sacks, slightly sheepish at being found out. Antoine sighed as he looked to the sky, seeing the faint light grow brighter, indicating the coming of dawn. Antoine stood up from his sitting position and stretched a bit.

"It's almost time to move anyway, I'll pack up." Antoine said while walking off.

A few hours later and the Shepherds are up and moving. Antoine was walking ahead of the group, while the others were conversing among themselves for the rest of the trek. Lissa then skipped forward to catch up with Antoine, who paid no heed to her.

"So... you gonna tell us about that flame thing you were talking about last night?" Lissa asked.

"Would 'no' be a good answer?" Antoine asked.

"Come oooooon..." Lissa moaned disapprovingly. "It's not like it'll change what we think of you! I won't hold anything against you!"

There was a brief pause from Antoine before he then asked.

"Are you sure I can trust you with this information?"

"Yes!"

"And you will not carelessly blabber this willy-nilly?"

"Princess' Honor!" Lissa said while beating her hand on her chest.

"Okay, so this will be a long story, so I'll just give you the background for now." Antoine explained. "So there is a legend where I'm from that spoke of events that happened a long, long, time ago. Before humanity or even the gods came into existence."

"Mhm..." Lissa hummed with a nod.

"It was known as the Age of Ancients, when the land was filled with grey crags, giant stone trees, and archdragons. But soon, there was Fire. And with fire, came disparity. Heat and cold. Life and death. And most importantly, Light and Dark."

"Are these dragons the same type of dragons like Naga?"

"Is Naga still alive?" Antoine asked.

"Well duh, she's a goddess!"

"Well then no, because of the next part of the story." Antoine stated before continuing. "So from the Dark, they came. Gods, rose from the darkness and found the Souls of Lords within the flame."

"Gods rising from the darkness? That's certainly an interesting creation story." Robin cut in.

"So you've joined the story session huh? Well, saves time for explanation." Antoine shrugged. "So these Lord Souls aren't your average souls, they grant you a great power that makes you close to a god, or in my world's case, a god. And there were only four Lord Souls in existence. The Soul of Life was held by the Witch of Izalith, granting her power over fire, which was our symbol of life."

Antoine then summoned power into his hand, lighting a flame that startled Lissa and Robin.

"This is where the art of pyromancy comes from, the daughter of the Witch of Izalith, Quelana was considered the mother of pyromancy. Now on the other hand, the Soul of Death was held by Nito. With it, he could cast a miasma of death and disease, sending plague after plague to make all before him perish. The Soul of Light was held by Gwyn, the Lord of Sunlight. With its power, he could freely wield the powers of light and lightning. Indeed, a soul so powerful that even when fragmented, it was still formidable to face."

"And the last soul?" Robin asked.

"It's not really relevant to what I'm about to tell you next, so why bother?"

"Come on!" Lissa whined. "You said there were four Lord Souls, what was the last one?"

"...Fine." Antoine said while heaving a huge sigh. "The Soul of Dark, or better known as the Dark Soul was held by the Furtive Pygmy. The pygmy then fragmented it, and from the fragments, humanity came forth, all descendants of the Furtive Pygmy."

"Really? Humans come from the dark?" Lissa asked with a bit of an unnerved expression. "That's kinda creepy!"

"It is what the scholars say." Antoine said curtly before continuing. "Anyway, with the strength of Lords, they challenged the dragons."

"WHAT!?" Lissa screamed out loud, nearly deafening Robin. "They chose to fight them?"

"Indeed they did. Gwyn's mighty bolts peeled apart their stone scales. The Witch of Izalith and her daughters weaved great firestorms. Nito unleashed a miasma of death and disease. But the true blow to the dragons was when Seath the Scaleless, betrayed his own kind. And thus, the dragons were no more."

"So this fire you've been talking about is the very thing that gave these beings their powers?" Robin asked.

"Yes indeed." Antoine said before turning to Lissa. "So, is your curiosity satiated?"

"Of course not! That was an amazing tale!" Lissa said cheerfully while hopping in excitement. "You don't happen to have more of those stories, do you?"

"I have a lot of tales to tell actually. The story of the War against the Archdragons was a few millennia before my time, so I'm quite sure a lot has happened in between then."

"Oh cool! Could you–"

"But enough about me, let's talk about you two first." Antoine said, quickly changing the subject. "So Robin, I hear you are a good tactician."

"Well, I wouldn't really say good..." Robin trailed off abashedly. "I simply gave Chrom a plan to follow."

"Aw don't sell yourself short Robin! You really did us a solid back there!" Lissa said while patting him on the back. "Kinda wished Marth went with us too..."

"Marth?"

"A strange masked swordsman who helped save us from the undead before you came along. She ran off before we met you."

"Excuse me milady, Robin, and Antoine." Frederick interrupted, before pointing ahead. "I believe that we have arrived at the capital."

Antoine looked forwards to see the vast city before him. Well, not really that vast, since traveling throughout Lothric had taught him the true meaning of vast. Lissa smirked at the face of awe on Robin, but her shoulders slumped at the passive expression of Antoine and Sirris.

"Well?"

"What?" Antoine asked. "I've seen bigger."

"Okay, now I know you're a liar." Chrom said jokingly while slapping Antoine on the back. "You've really seen bigger?"

"Chrom, just trust me when I say I've seen bigger." Antoine replied"

"Well anyway, welcome to Ylisstol everyone!"

The party then entered the city, moving through the crowds of peasants and citizens. Antoine took a moment to breathe in the atmosphere. This was a city, with living and breathing people, first he'd ever seen in ages. Usually, it was infested with insane Hollows and hostile knights, so seeing this city prosper was a rather nice change of pace for him.

" It appears the capital was spared the chaos we encountered, thank the gods. I see no evidence of the great quake. It must've been limited to the forest."

"Well, that's a relief!" Lissa said with much joy. "Now we can go meet Emm!"

"Speak of the devil." Chrom said with a smile, looking over to a blonde lady, surrounded by guards. "There's the Exalt."

"Ah yes, Lissa mentioned her back at the campsite?" Antoine said while looking at her. "She does give off a benevolent aura."

" Is it safe for her to walk among commoners like this?" Robin asked with a hint of worrry. "I'm surprised she even approaches the common citizens."

"The exalt is a symbol of peace—Ylisse's most prized quality. Long ago, at the dawn of our age, the fell dragon Grima tried to destroy the world. But the first exalt joined forces with the divine dragon and laid the beast low. Exalt Emmeryn reminds us all of the peace we fought for then."

"Well, your people are lucky indeed." Antoine said before putting two and two together. "So wait, if you both have the Brand, then that makes you–"

"Oh gods..." Robin muttered while looking at Chrom and Lissa.

"I'm surprised it took so long for you to figure it out." Chrom laughed while crossing his arms.

"Well excuuuse me Your Princeliness, but I didn't exactly plan on joining the Royal Flock either." Antoine said nonchalantly, prompting a glare from Frederick.

"C-Chrom... I mean, Prince Chrom! Sire! Forgive my dreadful manners!" Robin said while going down before Chrom.

"Ah, don't be like that!" Chrom said while helping up Robin. "It's okay to let a little loose like Antoine here."

"So the prince and princess..." Robin said before smirking at Frederick. "That explains why Frederick tolerates all the teasing, eh?"

"Indeed. Oh, the sacrifices I make for the good of the realm..." Frederick said while massaging his forehead.

"You know, as a former knight, I do feel your pain." Antoine said while patting Frederick on the shoulder. "And speaking of knight, where did Sirris go?"

"Right here milord." Sirris said, right behind Antoine, causing him to jump, much to Chrom and Lissa's amusement.

"GAH! Gwyn help us, you need to announce your presence before you pull those kinds of stunts." Antoine said while wiping the sweat off his forehead. "Where did the others go?"

"Madam Sully and Virion have already made their way back to the Shepherd HQ."

"So where to next Your Princeliness?" Antoine asked sarcastically.

"Well, it would be best for us to head to the palace so that you can meet Emm."

"Emm?"

"Short for Emmeryn." Frederick clarified.

Antoine shrugged again, following them inside. He looked at the palace walls and the banners, it reminded him of Anor Londo, though Anor Londo was looking a little more sludgy than its glory days, so perhaps comparing the Exalt's palace to Anor Londo was probably an insult. Antoine kept going, observing the trainees riding on pegasi and such. It was a first, seeing flying horses, but knowing the horrors of Lothric, he much preferred seeing the majestic flying horses. He noticed himself go through a large archway as he then looked forward, seeing a throne in front of him, with the same blonde woman from before sitting on the throne.

"Chrom! Lissa! Welcome home. Oh, and good day, Frederick. How fared you all?"

"Well, we won't be having any bandit problems!"

"Wonderful. And our people?" Emmeryn asked.

"Safe as they can be, Emm. But we still need to watch the borders. The brigands crossed over from Plegia."

"Forgive me, milord. My pegasus knights should have intercepted them." The blue haired lady in the back said while bowing her head.

"No, Phila." Chrom said while shaking his head. "Your duty was here, with the exalt."

"And besides, we had plenty of help!" Lissa butted in.

"Ah, you speak of your new companions here?" Emmeryn asked while looking at Robin, Antoine, and Sirris.

"This is Robin. He fought bravely with us against the brigands, and helped us tactically defeat our enemies. I've decided to make him a tactician of the Shepherds." Chrom said before gesturing to Antoine and Sirris. "This lady's name is Sirris, she is a brave knight who stood her ground and singlehandedly defended the town from the brigands until we arrived. I was also considering making her a Shepherd, but she says that she is sworn only to Antoine."

"Did Sir Antoine help in the town defense as well?" Emmeryn asked.

"Er, no. He was simply lost in the woods. I happened to find him fighting off the scourge of enemies by himself in the forest." Chrom added in.

"It sounds as though Ylisse owes a large debt to you, Robin and Sirris."

"Not at all, milady!" Robin said while bowing.

"Tis a knight's duty to protect the innocent, I have done only what is expected." Sirris said while curtsying.

"Forgive me, Your Grace, but I must speak. Robin claims to have lost his memory, but it is only that: a claim. We cannot rule out the possibility that he is a brigand himself or even a Plegian spy." Frederick said before eyeing Sirris and Antoine. "And Sirris and Antoine are dangerous unknowns with apparent secrets to hide!"

"Frederick!" Chrom said with a hint of anger.

"Yet you allowed them into the castle, Chrom. Does they have your trust?" Emmeryn asked with serious expression.

"Yes. Robin and Sirris risked their lives for our people." Chrom said without flinching. "That's good enough for me."

Chrom then looked at Antoine, hesitant what to say.

"I do not know much about Sir Antoine, but Sirris speaks highly of him. So highly that she swore herself to him out of pure admiration and gratitude." Chrom explained. "Her gratitude and devotion to him should stand as a proof of his good intentions and actions."

"Well then, Robin and Sirris... It seems you've earned Chrom's faith, and as such you have mine as well." Emmeryn said with a smile before facing Antoine. "And you, Sir Antoine, I must commend you for having such a fine knight under your service."

"It is her act of bravery, not mine." Antoine said humbly. "I'm merely a bystander."

"And thank you, Frederick, for your prudence, as always. Chrom and Lissa are blessed to have so tireless a guardian. I do hope they remember to mention that from time to time..."

"They occasionally express something akin to gratitude, Your Grace." Frederick responded before facing Phila. "Phila. I assume you've heard about the deathly creatures we encountered, yes?"

"Yes, milord. They've been sighted all across Ylisse."

"Chrom, we are about to hold council. I was hoping you could join us." Emmeryn said before facing Sirris and Antoine. "Do you two perhaps want to join us?"

"I would want to partake so that I may learn about your people." Antoine said while entering the council.

"I will accompany you–" Sirris said before she was stopped by the Ashen One. "What is it?"

"You will serve a different purpose. I want you to go and make friends with the Shepherds."

"W-What?" Sirris asked, confused at what he meant.

"Just go and fraternize with Lissa and Robin over there, don't worry." Antoine said while putting a hand on her shoulder. "You can't be a knight twenty-four seven just serving me. Try and socialize a bit."

"How do I... socialize?"

"Gods help us, how long have you gone on your journey without a friend?" Antoine asked.

"...You are my first."

"Well there's the problem!" Antoine said while putting his arm around her back. "Now that we aren't distracted by our curse, we are free to make our own choices. Sirris, I do not want you to go Hollow, so I want you to enjoy life as much as possible. And it starts here."

"...I'll try my best."

"That's the spirit!" Antoine said while slapping her on the back. "Now I have to enter the council room."

Antoine then proceeded to enter the door, but not before quickly running back and giving Sirris a hug. Sirris was shocked as she saw Antoine smile at her.

"If you need any help, don't hesitate to call upon me." Antoine said with a smile. "Goodbye, then. Be safe, friend. Don't you dare go Hollow."

Sirris was struck by these words as Antoine left her with a smile. She felt a certain warmness in her heart, not similar to a flame, but rather like warm, rushing water. Could this be? The warmth of love and friendship? One that she had not sought out during her time in Lothric. But she had another feeling, an anxious one that she kept feeling in anticipation of Antoine's return. It was as if she wanted to stay with Antoine more. She needed to learn more about this warmth, and what better way than to do what the Unkindled had told her to do.

Meanwhile, Antoine enters a room with a circular table were the Exalt's subjects were anxiously waiting to start their meeting, and I was not one to keep them waiting.

"Here Antoine, you sit next to me." Chrom gestured to Antoine's seat.

The council members eyed Antoine nervously, unsure what to make of the stranger in armor.

As Emmeryn then sat down at the center, one of her subjects then declared.

"The war council is now in session!"

The subject reads the agenda from a piece of paper as he adjusted his reading glasses.

"First order of business, we request that Chrom tell us about what he has witnessed yesterday."

The council seemed to drag on with talks off the barbarians and the unholy creatures we fought last night. The council seemed to argue heavily on our course of action.

"We need to prepare for war! If Gangrel wants it, he'll get it!" shouted one of the younger members.

"Don't be a fool, war is what Gangrel wants! We must not be so hasty!"

"But how about those creatures!? We never know when they may strike again, so that is why we must always be on guard!"

"But our armies have been reduced to mere thousands! How can we protect our border when we just don't have the men to do it!"

 _"_ _Mere thousands? How could any catastrophe leave them so scarred?"_ Antoine thought with a thinking gesture.

"Order in the court!" Phila demanded as the rest of the councillors became quiet.

"So, we do not have the manpower to protect all our settlements and we have absolutely no way of protecting ourselves from an invasion?" Chrom asked with raised eyebrows.

Everyone stayed quiet at his summary of the conversation.

"Now Chrom, let us not be so hasty, I'm sure that Gangrel will listen to reason."

"But what if he doesn't?! What if war is what he really desires!? We can't just stand here and suffer!"

"Mind your tone young prince." The knight-commander warned.

Emmeryn raised a hand to stop her knight-commander from saying anything else.

"If that's the case, then we will have to just call on our ally once again."

"Milady, you don't mean…"

"Yes, Phila, it is time that we ask Regna Ferox for their assistance once again."

"But Emm! We cannot let you leave the capital." Chrom protested. "Our people will certainly panic if you leave."

"Yes, I know, so that is why I will be sending you and the Shepherds to negotiate with them."

Chrom put his right hand on his chest and nodded.

"I won't let you down Emm!" he said sincerely.

The subject ticked the box next to the first agenda and announced the second agenda.

"Now, for our second order of business, I request that Sir Chrom tell us about these new knights, specifically Sir Antoine, since he is the only who has yet to be cleared of any suspicion."

"So Chrom, tell us about Antoine." Emmeryn added. "I understand that you took in Sirris and Robin because they served the people of Ylisse, but I'm curious as to why you brought in Antoine since he wasn't present at the bandit raid."

Chrom then looked hesitant, glancing at Antoine, who shrugged and replied.

"Tell them all that you saw."

Chrom then stood up and said.

"It was already the aftermath of the attack from those deathly creatures, and I was searching the forest for any firewood, and there I saw him. It was a lone knight, fighting off those same deathly creatures we fought earlier. Needless to say, I was astounded, watching him take them all on by himself. Furthermore, he was using fire magic, without a tome, I might add."

There were mutters among the council, as they were surprised that using flame magic without a tome. Antoine was left a bit confused since he always thought that tomes were merely used to learn the magic. Perhaps, tomes were a catalyst in this world for magic. Antoine then sat back as Chrom then continued.

"It was interesting to see him fight. His fire magic seemed very advanced in its technique, as I saw him bury his hand into an opponent and scorch it to ashes." Chrom continued.

"Then perhaps, Sir Antoine would like to elaborate on that?"

Chrom was about to speak up, but Antoine then stood up, gesturing to Chrom to let him handle this.

"So what I used is known as pyromancy." Antoine said while summoning a small flame into his hands. "The art of pyromancy needs not a catalyst and can simply be casted by hand."

"How does a knight like you even know how to use magic?"

"Where I'm from, as long as you have the skill for it, you could pull it off. And unlike simple flame attacks, the art of pyromancy can also do such things as enchant weapons, enhance your strength, and even mind control certain creatures."

There were mutters among the council, shocked that such powers were even possible.

"Where I'm from, pyromancy originated from the Soul of Life, possessed by a being known as the Witch of Izalith. Fire was the symbol of life, since it is where all the Lord Souls come from."

"How did you come to gain these powers of 'pyromancy'?"

"I was taught by a resident of the Great Swamp. I brought him different tomes of Pyromancy and he would teach them to me."

"Can you talk more about these 'Lord Souls'?"

"Well, essentially, there are four souls known as Lord Souls. Those of Death, Life, Light, and Dark. Each Lord Soul possessed power great enough to fell even the mightiest of dragons."

The council had erupted to even more mutters, mutters about Naga and Grima and such.

"And you possess these Lord Souls?"

"Oh heavens no, I am a mere human." Antoine said while thinking. _"It wouldn't be wise to tell them about my possession of the Dark Soul."_

Antoine moved to speak but saw something move out of the corner of his eye. A suspiciously out of place statue of a dragon, positioned at the middle, where Emmeryn was. No one noticed it, but Antoine was very familiar with the Chameleon spell and the Young White Branch, so he needed to confirm his suspicions.

"Excuse me for speaking out of turn, but have you always had a dragon statue, Your Excellency?" Antoine asked.

"Er, I don't recall having them move a statue of Naga into this meeting room." Emmeryn answered. "Why?"

Antoine heard the distinct sound of a bow being drawn as he saw the statue fade and turn into a hooded assassin, holding up a bow and arrow and aiming it at Emmeryn. The bow was rather large and even resembled a Dragonslayer bow. Antoine's eyes widened as he leaped over the table and put himself between the archer and Emmeryn as the assassin let the arrow fly.

"Your Excellency, get down!" Antoine shouted as he pushed aside Emmeryn.

Antoine was immediately impaled by the large arrow as he was sent back flying. Emmeryn fell on the ground while the council members began to evacuate. The assassin immediately makes a run for it as Phila then pointed to him with her sword.

"Catch that assassin!"

Chrom leapt over the table and gave chase to the assassin as Emmeryn is left in the council room with Phila. Phila immediately helped Emmeryn up.

"Milady, are you okay!?" Phila asked.

Emmeryn regained her bearings as she looked back at Antoine, who was pinned against the wall by the large arrow, his torso impaled and oozing blood. Emmeryn cupped her hands over her mouth, horrified at what had happened. She couldn't bear to see such a grim fate happen to the poor man.

"I'll go look for a healer milady!" Phila said while running off.

Emmeryn was left alone with the limp body of Antoine as she collapsed on her knees. Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized that this man had sacrificed his life to save her. She crawled to the body, seeing Antoine's lifeless eyes, a miserable feeling of regret taking over as she cried over the body. No one needed to die today, Antoine was merely brought here for questioning, he wasn't trusted yet he still gave his life for her sake. It was horrifying to see him like this, as Emmeryn felt like this was all her fault.

 _"Oh gods... Sir Antoine..."_ Emmeryn whimpered while placing a hand on his corpse. _"I am so sorry for this... You weren't meant to take that arrow for me..."_

But much to her shock, she saw the body move. The body then used its arms to remove the arrow from the torso, and threw it aside. Emmeryn sat there in complete shock and awe as she saw the body then stand up and adjust itself. Was he alive? Emmeryn couldn't even speak as the body then spoke up.

"That damned sneaky bastard... That arrow hit hurts like hell..." Antoine said while keeling over in pain from the wound in his torso. "Well, I better run after him, I have quite a few questions to ask him."

Antoine then looked to see his side to see Emmeryn, whose eyes were as wide as dinner plates. Antoine grimaced as he realized that he was found out as he then ran out the room, choosing to prioritize chasing down that stranger. He followed the trail of the assassin, seeing an array of knocked over accessories. He then stops to see Chrom and a few guards waiting outside a window, which had a gaping crack.

"Where is he?"

"The bastard escaped by jumping through the window and onto the rooftops! Pegasus knights are being sent out as we speak." Chrom said while gritting his teeth before he suddenly looked at Antoine's torso, still bleeding, with a gaping hole in his armor. "Antoine your wound–"

"No time for that!" Antoine dismissed as he ran towards the window and jumped out, finding himself on the castle rooftop. He saw the brigand on the far lower levels of the castle rooftops. Antoine looked at his ring with a cat symbol as he then thought to himself. _"Don't fail me now Silvercat Ring."_

"Antoine, wait!"

Antoine jumped from the highest rooftops and landed safely on his feet, covering the distance between him and the assassin. The chase was on as the assassin frantically jumped onto a castle wall with Antoine following suit. The assassin then jumped to the ground and jumped to the roof of a nearby tower, with Antoine following his footsteps, perfectly sticking the landing. Antoine then followed the assassin as the chase brought them to the rooftops of Ylisstol. Antoine needed to pick up the pace to be able to catch up with the assassin. He summons a flame into his hands and then pushes into his chest, giving him a great boost of stamina as he rushed forward even faster. The assassin briefly looked back to see Antoine quickly catch up to him, pouncing and tackling him off the roof into a crowded area.

The assassin attempted to get up but gets pinned down by Antoine's foot. The assassin frantically tries to escape as Antoine then summoned a pyromancy into his hand and held his hand close to the assassin's face.

"Did you think that you could get away so easily?" Antoine asked.

"Yes, actually." The assassin smirked as he then rang a chime which summoned a shockwave that knocked Antoine back.

Antoine was already losing patience as he ran after the assassin again. This time, he summons Rapport and commands the nearby horses ahead to form a blockade and take down the assassin. The assassin however, jumps over them and turns back and taunts.

"You're gonna have to do better than that Ashen boy!"

The assassin is thencaught off-guard by multiple chickens flying out of their coops and attacking him. They were harmless, but it left the assassin distracted as he tried to scare off the chickens. But in the cloud of feathers, Antoine emerges and punches the assassin with all his might, knocking him to a nearby fountain. The assassin tries and gets up before Antoine then picks him up and smashes him against the fountain, breaking a part of it. Even with his body battered, the assassin merely laughed.

"She was right... You truly are one of the strongest..."

This confused Antoine.

"Who was right?" Antoine questioned before smashing the assassin against the wall. "Tell me!"

"...You can't make me say it..." The man mocked. "You won't get any information from me, just give it up!"

"Then answer this, why did you attempt to assassinate the Exalt!?" Antoine angrily questioned.

"Use that thing between your ears idiot... Who do you think wants the Exalt dead?" The man laughed before coughing a bit. "The man I work for wants war with Ylisse, and merely hired me to start it early."

"So it is that Plegia country I've been hearing about..." Antoine muttered. "Well, seeing that you'll refuse to tell me anything else, you're useless to me."

"So you will let me go then? After all, I can just use a shockwave spell and sneak off with a disguise spell." The assassin shrugged smugly. "It's not like you'll be able to imprison me."

"True, but I don't need to take any prisoners." Antoine said while lighting a flame in his hands.

The man then weakly raised a hand summoning a purple light that traveled down his body and formed a glyph. Antoine felt the loss of his magic as he turned to the man with a shocked face.

"Did you just..." Antoine wondered before tightening his grip. "Did you just cast Vow of Silence!?"

"Just to buy me time until those Ylisseans arrive. They'll force you to hand me as a prisoner for questioning..." The man said while laughing. "It's worth the lack of magic, as long as I live a little longer to try and escape."

Antoine saw the numerous pegasus knights come from the castle, it wouldn't be long until they would arrive and take the man into custody. Only Antoine knew how dangerous this man was. But without his magic or nearby weapons, he wouldn't be able to kill him fast enough. The assassin laughed and raised his arms in a taunting manner.

"Give it up! You won't be able to kill me fast enough!"

But the man was silenced by a red hand over his mouth. His eyes widened as he saw the cold look in the Ashen One's eyes.

"I do, actually." Antoine countered as he then began to drain the man of his life, holding him down so the man wouldn't escape.

"NO! No!" The assassin panicked as he tried to escape the lifedrain. "How could you have done this!? She didn't tell me! She didn't tell me... you had the Dark Hand... She didn't... tell... me..."

Antoine watched as the man slowly lost the light in his eyes. When he finally went limp, Antoine dropped his body and immediately hid the Dark Hand. He hated using it. It was an unclean and unholy weapon to use and it always made him feel filthy whenever he used it. But this was a desperate situation, and Ylisse shouldn't be exposed to the horrors of Lordran. Though he was still curious about this 'she' that the assassin was talking about. Was there perhaps another player in this game? Another Unkindled perhaps? These were Antoine's thoughts before he looked back at the body, before looking at the rooftops and seeing another hooded figure. He saw the hooded figure ring a chime as he looked back to the body, seeing a purple aura emit from it. Antoine's eyes widened as he dove for the nearest cover as the body then bursted into a purple explosion, sending Antoine flying and slamming against a stone wall. He wasn't dead but the sheer force of that was blurring his vision and tiring him, he was slowly losing consciousness as the last thing he saw through the blur was a streak of blue.

 _The Ashen One took a deep breath as he saw the field of ash. There it was in the distance, a charred being who burned with the strength of those who linked the fire in ages past. He looked at his hand as he saw the power of Dark leak from him. This was the dark flame of humanity, and he would need this to stand a chance against his opponent. An amalgamation of those who had been consumed by the flame, it was no mere Lord of Cinder, it was the Soul of Cinder. The Ashen One prayed that he wouldn't need to depend on the Dark Soul, but knowing that Gwyn was also part of the Soul of Cinder, meant he couldn't hold back._

Antoine found himself in bed, his armor taken off, and his torso bandaged. He sat up to see the Exalt, Emmeryn, sitting by his bedside. He tries to get off but the Exalt moved to stop him.

"Stay down for now, you need to rest with those injuries." She said while gently pushing him down to a lying position. "I never really had the chance to thank you for saving my life."

"It's nothing..." Antoine groaned while clinging his stomach. "Honestly, I should have acted faster and attacked that statue."

"No one could have possibly expected that to happen, it's amazing that you were able to see that far ahead already." Emmeryn said before her expression stiffened. Antoine could tell what she was about to ask next.

"You saw it? Me being impaled against the wall?"

"I thought you died. When I first saw you dead against the wall, I felt so much regret knowing that you died because of me. But the moment you stood up, I could not anything. You shrugged off that arrow shot as if it was just a mere cut."

"So you want an explanation then?" Antoine asked before sighing and showing the sign on his neck. "I previously showed this to Chrom, this is known as a Darksign, a mark that brands me as Undead. And before you ask, it's nothing like the Brand of the Exalt."

"You are Undead?" Emmeryn asked with much surprise.

"I may not fit your idea of what an Undead is but hear me out. Where I was from, the passage of time was already diluted and the land was changing far more erratically, no one truly knew what had happened, but that was when the Undead curse came. As an Undead, I cannot truly die, though I am not sure if it applies in this world. Whenever I am incapacitated or killed, I merely reawaken at a bonfire, where most Undead linger for comfort and warmth."

"And this curse helped you survive that gigantic arrow?"

"Oh yes, when you're Undead, you have no need to eat, drink, or sleep. Your organs are no longer needed and are just mere bundles of flesh in your body." Antoine said while pointing to his torso. "All I felt from that arrow shot was a sting, before I merely shrugged it off. You wouldn't believe how many times I've gotten shot by arrows of this size."

"And why did you not tell this to the others?"

"I fear hostility. Where I am from, Undead are treated like outcasts or even gathered up and imprisoned so that they wouldn't hurt others." Antoine said grimly, much to Emmeryn's horror. "However, if I may add, I am no ordinary Undead, I am Unkindled. Unkindled are those who were reduced to ashes in their previous life and have been reawakened as slaves to the gods. Unkindled are not treated kindly either."

"We would never have done such a thing to you Sir Antoine!" Emmeryn vehemently rebutted. " At worst, we would have kindly asked you to leave. But now, knowing that you have saved my life and personally hunted down that assassin, I'm willing to ignore that altogether. You have my complete trust."

Antoine sighed as he then said.

"Then will you keep this from Chrom and the others? While your words of good treatment are nice to hear, I prefer to hide my Undead nature for personal reasons."

"Agreed, but you will have to tell Chrom and the others one day." Emmeryn warned.

"The time will come Your Excellenc–"

"EMM!"

Antoine and Emmeryn turned to see Lissa rush into the room and hug Emmeryn. She was followed by Chrom and Robin, and finally Frederick. Antoine began to wonder where Sirris was.

"So um, where's Sirris?"

"Right here milord." Sirris said from the bed next to him.

"GAH!" Antoine audibly shouted, startled by her sudden presence. "How long were you there!?"

"Even before you woke up."

"You really need to speak up, it's not like my conversation with the Exalt shouldn't be interrupted."

"Sirris is a very diligent knight of yours." Emmeryn commented. "She had come here once she had heard the news, ahead of all the others in fact."

"So how are you holding up Emm?" Chrom asked with much concern.

"I'm unscathed Chrom, thanks to Sir Antoine, who very much risked his life to save me from that giant arrow." Emmeryn said while gesturing to Antoine's bandaged torso. "If it were not for his bravery, I would have been the one pinned on the wall."

"Like I said, don't mention it– Ow!" Antoine said while hissing in pain from his torso wound.

"It seems we have given you too little credit Sir Antoine." Chrom said while going one knee. "The people of Ylisse are in your debt. I'm in your debt. We cannot thank you enough for your heroic deeds."

"Seriously, thank you sooo much!" Lissa said while hugging Antoine. "Thanks to you, my sister's still alive!"

"Lissa..." Antoine groaned. "Torso wound..."

"Oops! Sorry!" Lissa bowed while letting him go.

"And I for one, am sorry for doubting you." Frederick said with an apologetic tone. "No Plegian spy or brigand would have done what even the bravest Ylissean knights couldn't even do."

"Yeah..." Antoine groaned while clutching his stomach. "Let's move on from the formalities and get into discussion."

"Discussion of what exactly?" Frederick asked with a raised eyebrow.

"When I hunted down that assassin, he had confessed to being from Plegia." Antoine added in.

"So those Plegian bastards would sink that low–"

"I'm not done. I noticed that he was using sorcery and magic from _my_ land." Antoine emphasized.

"And so?" Chrom asked while crossing his arms, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"To even learn one spell requires a dedicated teacher, and I counted four distinct spells used by the assassins." Antoine said before addding, "With the evidence at hand, there clearly is another person from my land, it's not just me and Sirris here, there could be someone else like me helping the Plegians."

This intrigued everyone in the room as they went even closer to listen.

"So someone like you, with advanced knowledge in this pyromancy magic, and sorcery could be helping the Plegians?" Chrom asked with much shock.

"No. Someone _i_ _s_ helping the Plegians. And I think I might have an idea who." Antoine said while getting off the bed. "Where's my armor?"

* * *

Meanwhile, at the castle of Plegia, there was a dark-skinned woman wearing revealing armor, standing in the throne room as an assassin returned, tembling in fear.

"So how was it? Was the assassination a success?" The woman asked while crossing her arms.

"N-No Madam Aversa, we were compromised. P-Please... Spare my life... I didn't– HURGH!" The assassin said before he was struck by a dark flame from the shadows.

Aversa frowned as she looked at the throne, where a red-headed king sat, crossing her arms with a scowl on her face.

"Your so-called undetectable assassin got detected, I thought you said this operation wouldn't fail." Aversa said while tapping her foot impatiently at the king on

"I merely parroted what the veiled lady said." The king said dismissively. "Oy! Explain this!"

"Correction, I said it would only fail under very special circumstances." The voice said as a woman in a hooded veil stepped into the light. "Either way, I got what I wanted."

"And what did you get exactly?" Aversa asked in an annoyed voice.

"Information. If one of our assassins had been detected regardless of the Chameleon spell, then there's someone else like me over there in Ylisse." The woman concluded. "This is an unexpected turnout. And perhaps, Ylisse should not be underestimated anymore."

"Why?" Aversa asked, confused.

"Because the person who killed me is right in that city, and I won't let history repeat itself."

"Then what do you suppose we do?" Aversa asked curiously.

"We eliminate Ylisse's ally, Regna Ferox, from the picture before they can run to them for help." The veiled woman said while looking to the map. "Perhaps, it is time to send a more... competent individual to see this task finished."

"Such as who?"

The veiled woman then looked into the shadows, looking at the faint glimmer of black armor.

"Sir Vilhelm? Art thou ready for this task?"

The armored man then came out of the shadows, revealing a black knight with a cape.

"Your wish is my command."

* * *

 **And that's it for Chapter 1!**


End file.
